Special Assessment District (SAD)
Legal update:
SAD Updates
Lake Level Special Assessment District Update (SAD) Litigation (January 26, 2026):
The Higgins Lake Property Owners Association (HLPOA), represented by attorney Phil Ellison, continues to challenge Roscommon County?s formation of a Special Assessment District (SAD) for Higgins Lake.
HLPOA?s 2023 challenge was denied by the Michigan Court of Appeals on December 15, 2025, not on the merits, but because the court ruled the claims were filed prematurely.?
To preserve these issues, HLPOA filed an appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court on January 26, 2026.
A second lawsuit is now moving forward in Roscommon County Circuit Court, directly challenging the County?s assessment of property owners for initial SAD costs?an approach the appellate court indicated was procedurally appropriate.?
Significant Legal dates:
Why this matters:
HLPOA maintains the County failed to follow required legal procedures, creating the risk of an open-ended “slush fund” with no defined project, no cost limits, and no clear accountability. More than three years after approval of the SAD, the County has still not identified a specific project.
HLPOA is funding this litigation largely on its own to protect property owners from potentially unlimited future assessments.
How to support the legal effort:
Donate to the HLPOA Legal Fund
Checks
Checks marked “HLPOA Legal Fund” may be mailed to: HLPOA P.O. Box 55 Roscommon, MI 48653
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